Chris Froome makes history after adding La Vuelta title to Tour de France crown

The Briton becomes the first rider to take the Tour and Vuelta in a single year since Bernard Hinault in 1978

Chris Froome in action on the final day of La Vuelta (Getty)

Chris Froome became the first British winner of the Vuelta a España on Sunday night, adding the title to his 2017 Tour de France crown in what has been a golden summer of success for the cyclist.

The Briton is only the third rider in history to win the Tour and Vuelta in the same year and the first to do so since Bernard Hinault in 1978. Only Hinault and Jacques Anquetil have managed to complete this particular ‘double’ previously.

Froome is also the first winner of two Grand Tours in the same season since Alberto Contador won the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta in 2008 and the first ever to take both the Tour and Vuelta since the latter moved dates from April to September in 1996.

In almost a carbon copy of his fourth Tour de France win earlier this year, Froome built an early lead in Spain and Team Sky were able to fend off the attacks of his rivals to see it home, with Froome able to extend his advantage on the penultimate stage.

The Team Sky rider finished the race two minutes and 15 seconds clear of second-placed Italian Vincenzo Nibali, with Russia's Ilnur Zakarin third.

Nibali's compatriot Matteo Trentin won the final stage, his fourth victory, ahead of Lorrenzo Manzin and Soren Kragh Andersen - but Froome's 11th-placed finish denied the Italian the green jersey.

Only Jacques Anquetil in 1963 and Bernard Hinault 15 years later have matched the Briton's achievement, although he is the first to do so since La Vuelta was moved from before the Tour to after it in 1995.

Froome's winning time was 82 hours, 30 minutes and two seconds and within minutes of the finish the delighted 32-year-old was quick to tweet a photograph of himself eating pizza with the caption, "Job done!".